Fred Wescott, better known as
Fred Karno, transformed the music hall by creating a riot
of laughter out of chaos, originating the custard pie in
the face.

The poor lad who left
Nottingham for a tough apprenticeship as an acrobat in
Victorian showbusiness rose through flair and persistence
to be one of the greatest impresarios and showmen in the
world.

The British Army sang songs
about him and his name was often mentioned in the House
of Commons to describe a muddle somewhere. Fred Karno's Army meaning a chaotic outfit,
became enshrined in the English language.

Running thirty or more
companies at one time that travelled to Africa, South
America and the USA, he also trained, or gave an early
chance, to many famous names in entertainment including
Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel.

Despite endlessly providing
successful, hilarious sketches, the man himself was an
enigma. Squandering money on luxury enterprises, he was
astonishingly mean to his first wife before and after
they separated, and so blindly mean to his actors that
they were easily tempted by Hollywood.

As a womaniser he practically
invented the casting couch. He was a hard taskmaster with
a sarcastic cough, precise over endless rehearsals when
it came to running shows and training artists in raising
laughs.

For those he helped to fame
he was 'the perfect Guv'nor' while others just could not
get on with him. Some of the women who knew him said he
was 'an angel', others muttered 'that he was a dirty old
devil'.

Trusting nobody and nothing
except his own theatrical judgement, he became a great
showman who, despite a tarnished image, made millions
laugh and left behind a legacy of humour that still lives
on today.